Beneficial bacteria bring 98% packout for Brassica farm

They are notoriously tricky crops to grow in summer, but broccoli and cauliflower flourish on Southern Block farm in KwaZulu-Natal. By focusing on optimal soil and vigorous plants, this farm uses minimal chemical inputs. Lindi Botha spoke to the team about their winning recipe.

- Lindi Botha

The 40ha of cauliflower and broccoli crops stretches out over the picturesque hillside in Curry’s Post, KwaZulu-Natal. You would be forgiven for thinking the vista has been staged, for it’s not only the setting that’s picture-perfect but the crops themselves. Uniform to the point of perfection, the plants all stand at an equal height, leaves thick and lush, with hardly a blemish in sight.

Yet Southern Block farm carries out only a tenth of the pest-control applications that their neighbouring farm does. “If all the nutrients are in balance and the plant sap is optimal, pests find it difficult to bite into the thick leaves,” explains Rory Milbank, the farm’s agronomist.

Taking a natural approach is at the heart of the farm’s success, and getting the soil in top shape is an ongoing process, albeit one that requires less and less human intervention as time goes on.

When James Kelly took ownership of the farm in 2019, he faced the task of converting the existing dairy pastures into vegetable lands. Since there was a good market demand for Brassica crops, he made this his focus.